Alarm-actuating mechanism for incubators.



W. M. BRALY. ALARM ACTUATING MEGHANISM PQR INGUBAToRs. APPLICATION FILEDAPR. 2, 1910.

1,006,824, Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

n 'Arme/vers WALTER MARTIN BRALY, OF BLACKWELL, OKLAHOMA.

ALARM-ACTUATING MECHANISM FOR INCUBATORS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 24, 1911.

Application led April 2, 1510. Serial No. 552,942.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, lVALTEaM. BRALY, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of Blackwell, in the county of Kay and State of Oklahoma,have invented a new and Improved Alarm-Actuating Mechanism forIncubators, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

My invention relates to alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, and ithas been constructed to be used with the incubator alarm which is thesubject-matter of my United States atent application tiled August 24,1909, erial No. 514337, but it is of course understood that the alarmactuating mechanism which is described in the present application, maybe connected directly with an electric bell to sourid the alarm, withoutthe necessity of using the incubator alarm which is the subject-matterof my said previous application.

The object of the present invention is to provide an alarm actuatingmechanism which will be certain in its operation' and, at the same time,will not be damaged by the increase or decrease of temperature beyondthe points where it has been adjusted to operate. The contact lever ispivoted to a rod mounted to travel in guides, a spring being provided tohold the rod in a predetermined position, the contact rod beingconnected with a thermostat by which it is operated. As the lever isoperated by the thermostat, it contacts with electrodes, to

complete an electric circuit in which thereis an electro-magnet. l

Still other objects of the invention will appear in the followingcomplete description.

In this specification I will describe the preferred form of myinvention, it -being understood that the scope of the invention isdefined the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part ofthis -specitication, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the views, and in which- A l Figure l is asectional side elevation showing a portion of lan incubator, in which myalarm actuating mechanism is installed; Fig. 2 is an end view showingthe casing in which the thermostat and the contact lever are disposed;Fig. 3 is a sectional fragmentary plan view of the casing in which thethermostat and contact lever are disposed, showing the means for holdingthe contact lever out of engagement with the alarm electrode and Fig. 4is a fragmentary view showing the means for connecting the thermostatwith the contact lever.

By referring to the drawings it will be seen that a frame 1 vis providedwhich is ,A

secured to a bracket 2, the said` brackety 2 being secured to a wall 3of an incubator, a drawer 4 of the incubator being disposed below thesaid frame 1.

To the bottom 5 of the frame 1 is secured a thermostat 6, the thermostatpreferably consisting of one or more hollow wafer members 7 which are incommunication with each other'through openings in the central, uprightportion 8.

To one end of the frame 1 are secured lugs 9, having guideways 10, a rod11 being disposed in the guideways 10, a pin 12 projecting through therod 11 near its lower terminal, to limit the downward movement of thesaid rod 11 in the guideways 10, a contact lever 13 being pivoted to therod 11, and a spring 14 being disposed around the rod 11, the upperterminal of the said spring 14 abutting against the lower portion of theupper lug 9, and the lower portion of the spring 14 pressing against ashoulder 15 on the rod 11. This construction is provided so that whenthe contact lever 13 is moved upwardly and engages the upper electrode42, any further upward movement of the contact lever by the thermostatwill cause the upward movement of the right 4end of the contact leverwith the shoulder 15, and against the pressure of the spring 14. Thiswill relieve the left end of the contact lever and the thermostat. fromany abnormal strain.

A bracket 16 is lsecured to the thermostat 6, the bracket 16 projectingupwardly, and to this bracket is plvoted a screw member 17, a sleeve 18being mounted onthe screw member 17, the sleeve 18,n having an innerscrew thread which -mesheswith the screw thread 19 on the saidscrew'member 17. The sleeve 18 is disposed through an opening in t-hecontactlever 13, there being a head 20 on the lower portion of thesleeve 18, the head 20 abutting against the under side of the contactlever 13, and a spring 21 being wound around the sleeve 18, the lowerterminal of the spring 21 pressing against the upper surface ofthecontact lever 13, and the upper terminal of the spring 21 pressingagainst a head 22 on the upper portion of the sleeve 18. The upperportion .23 of the head 22 is extended and has a milled surface, so thatthe sleeve 18 may be readily turned relatively to the screw member 17.

There is an opening 25, in the end 24 of the frame 1, through which isdisposed the free terminal 26 of the contact lever 13. This freeterminal 26 of the lever 13 is pro- -vided with a contact member 27which is stud 31 being extended through openings in the sides 32 of theframe, t-he said openings serving as bearings. To this stud 31 issecured a finger 33 which is adapted to be disposed upwardly in a recess34 in the lower Surface of the contact lever 13. A spring 35 is woundaround the stud 31, one terminal 36 of the spring 35 being secured tothe finger 33, the other terminal 37 pressing against the bottom 5 ofthe frame. When the eggs in the incubator are being cooled the stud 31is turned against the pressure of the spring 35, until the finger 33 isdisposed in the recess 34, in the contact lever 13. This will preventthe sounding of the alarm by the engagement of the contact lever withthe lower electrode 42. When the temperature is sulicient to raise thecontact lever by means of the thermostat and the members described, thespring 35 causes the stud to rotate to move the linger to the right andout of the way of the contact lever 13, should the said contact` leveragain descend because of a subsequent fall in the temperature,

` A bracket 38 is secured to the outer side of theend X24 of the frame1, this bracket 38 having an opening 39 which registers with t-heopening 25 in the said end 24 of the frame 1. The bracket 38 also hastwo flanges 40, one disposed above and the other below the opening 39,there being threaded orifices 41 in each of the flanges 40, in which aredisposed screw electrodes 42, the screw electrodes 42 having thumbpieces 43 by which they may be readily adjusted relatively to theflanges 40. These screw electrodes 42 are disposed one above the freeterminal 26 of the contact lever 13 and the other belowthe saidterminal. The bracket 38 is insulated from the frame 1 by means ofinsulating material 44. A wire 45 is secured in electrical contact withthe bracket 38, this wire 45 being led through an insulated opening inthe end 24 of the frame 1 to a binding post 46, extended through anopening in the bracket 2 and an opening in the top of the frame 1, sothat the wire 45 may be secured to the binding posts within the frame 1,and the binding post may be secured to the said wire by turning a thumbn nut 47 which engages a thread on the binding post and draws the head48 of the binding post against a terminal ot the wire 45, said terminalbeing held between the said head 48 and insulating material 49. In thesame way the wire 29 is secured to a binding post 50. Wires 61, and 6()are led, one to a battery 51, and the other to a switch 52, the latterhaving a wire 53 leading to an electro-magnet 54 which commands anarmature 55, secured to a member 56 having an indenture v57 with whichengages a roller 58 mounted on an operating lever, as fully explained inmy earlier application hereinbefore mentioned, bearing Serial No.514,337. A wire 62 connects the battery 51 with the electro-magnet inthe customary manner.

To the side of the frame 1 may be secureda bracket holder 59, in whichmay be disposed a thermometer.

In using the invention, the operator obtains the desired balance betweenthe spring 21 and the thermostat 6, by turning the sleeve 18, therebyadjusting the relative position of the arm 13 with relation tothethermostat 6. When the desired adjustment has been'made, any increase inthe temperature in the incubator beyond a certain degree, will cause thethermostat 6 to expand suliciently to raise the free terminal 26 of thecontact lever 13, until the said free terminal is in engagement with theupper screw electrode 42, while any decrease in the temperature in theincubator beyond a certain point, .will cause the thermostat 6 tocont-ract, thereby drawing downwardly the contact lever 13 until itsJfree terminal 26 contacts with the lower screw electrode 42. To assistin the adjustment, these screw electrodes may be turned so that they maybe positioned as may be desired 'relatively to the flanges 40. 'On thecontact ot the member 27 of the free terminal 26 of the lever 13, witheither of these screw electrodes, the circuit is closed and the currentflows from vthe battery through the wires and energizes theelectro-magnet 54, which draws the armature and thereby operates themember 56, which causes the roller 58 to be moved relatively to theindenture 57, thereby operating the lever to which the said roller 58 issecured, in the manner fully set forth in my previous application,referred to by Serial No. 514,337.

As I have fully explained, if desired, the wire 60 which connects thebinding post 46 with the switch 52, may be connected directly with abell, the wire 61 connecting the binding post 50 with the battery 51,and the wires 53 and 62 being connected directly with an electric bell.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent:

1. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a frame, athermostatl secured to the frame, a screw secured to the thermostat, asleeve having an inner thread which meshes with the screw, a contactmember adapted to be moved relatively to the frame, means for holdingthe contact member yieldingly in a predetermined position relatively tothe sleeve, and an electrode disposed in the path of the contact member.

2. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a thermostat, a screwsecured thereto, a sleeve having a head and an inner thread which mesheswith the screw, a contact member adapted to be moved, a spring on thesleeve, one terminal of which presses against the head of the sleeve andthe other terminal against the contact member, and an electrode disposedin the path of the contact member.

3. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a thermostat, a screwsecured thereto, a sleeve having lan inner thread which meshes with thescrew, a contact lever having an opening through which the sleeve isdisposed, a member to which the Contact member is pivoted, two heads onthe sleeve,

one above the contact lever and the other below, and a spring disposedbetween the contact lever and one of the heads on the sleeve.

,4. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a verticallydisposed rod, guides therefor in which the rod is adapted to travel, acontact member secured to the rod, an electrode with which the contactmember is adapted to contact, a thermostat, and means at a distance fromthe rod by which the thermostat is adapted for lifting the contactmember.

In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a rod, guides therefor`in which the rod is adapted to travel, a contact member secured to therod, an electrode with which the contact member is adapted to contact, athermostat, means by which the ther- Vmostatis adapted for lifting thecontact member. and a spring for holding the rod yieldingl)7 in apredetermined position relatively to the guides.

6. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a thermostat, a screwsecured thereto, a sleeve having an inner thread which meshes with thescrew, a contact member adapted to be moved. means for holding thesleeve yieldingly in a predetermined position relatively to the. Contactmember, an electrode disposed in the path of the contact member, a rod,and guides therefor in which t-he rod is adapted to travel, the contactmember being secured to the rod.

7. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, guideways, a rod fortraveling therein, a contact lever pivoted to the rod, a spring forholding the .rod yieldingly in apredetermined position relatively to theguideways, a thermostat, a screw secured thereto, a sleeve having aninner thread which meshes with the screw, means for holding the contactlever yieldingly relatively to the sleeve, and an electrode disposed inthe path of the contact member.

8. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a thermostat, a screwsecured thereto, a sleeve having an inner thread which meshes wit-h thescrew, a Contact lever having an opening through which the sleeve isdisposed, a member to which the Contact lever is pivoted, two heads ont-he sleeve, one

above the contact lever and the other below, a spring disposed betweenthe contactJ lever and one of the heads on the sleeve, and gu-ideways inwhich the member is adapted. to travel,

9. In an'alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a rod, guidewaystherefor in which the rod is adapted to travel, a contact member securedto the rod, two electrodes spaced apart, between which a terminal of thecontact member is disposed, a thermostat, means by which the thermostatvis adapted for moving the contact member, and a pivoted member adaptedfor supporting the contact member out of engagement with one of theelectrodes.

10. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a rod, guidewaystherefor in 4which the rod is adapted to travel, a contact member havingan insulated cont-act. plate secured to the rod, a thermostat, means by.which the thermostat is adapted for moving the contact member, aninsulated bracket having two vflanges with threaded orifices disposed atopposite sides of the contact member, and screw electrodes disposed inthe threaded orifices.

11. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubat-ors, a frame, athermostat secured thereto, al screw secured to the thermostat, a sleevehaving an inner thread which meshes with the screw, a contact memberadapted to be moved relatively to the frame, means for holding thecontact member yieldingly in a predetermined posit-ion relatively to thesleeve, an insulated plate on the contact member, an insulated brackethaving two flanges with threaded orifices, disposed at opposite sides ofthe contact plate on the contact member, and screw electrodes disposedin t-he threaded orifices.

1Q. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators a contact member,means for holding the contact member at one end yieldingly in a-predetermined position, an electrode with which the other end of thecontact member is adapted to contact, a thermostat, and means engagingthe contact member between the ends thereof by Which the thermostat isadapted for moving the contact member.

13. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators, a thermostat, asleeve havinga head, means for connecting the sleeve With thethermostat, a contact lever, and spring means mounted on the sleeveadapted to abut against the head and to engage the contact lever.

14. In an alarm actuating mechanism for incubators a contact lever, athermostat,

means connecting the thermostat With the contact lever, for operatingthe latter, an electrode adapted t0 be engaged by the con tact lever, apivoted member adapted for supporting the contact lever out ofengagement with the elect-rode, and a spring for holding the pivotedmember normally out of the path of the contact lever.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing Witnesses.

Vitnesses OWEN M. KENDALL, BEN G. JONES.

